As promised on my last post, I will show you what Abby does prior to giving me that perfect sit/stay and eye contact. Why? So you are aware of all her antics and refrain for saying to your furry kid, “You should be like Abby.”

Marcela, “I am pointing at the spot I want her to sit and stay while giving me eye contact.”

Abby, at the beginning, does comply and follows my hand.

Abby, “Ha, ha. I am so happy I am going to eat that I can’t contain my excitement.”

Abby then decides that she must first show me how excited she is by jumping all over her bed and ignoring my hand signal.

Abby, “Mom, your finger smells delicious.”

Abby’s enthusiasm, this time, is less because she’s learned that the sooner she calms down the faster she’ll eat. At the beginning she used to jump up in the air.

Abby, “Ok mom, I am due being funny. Could you please feed me now?”

She finally settles down and at such time she is rewarded with a meal. Believe it or not, that exuberance Abby displays every time I feed her is something I enjoy seeing and hope that she’ll continue to display. Just like many pet parents out there, there are some things that I don’t want to change in Abby because it makes me happy and she looks adorable doing it. Happy Holidays!

When I was a kid, my mom used to say over and over again, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat,” and I had absolutely no clue what she was talking about. In my defense, I was 6 years old at that time. Anyway, now I understand what she meant and this is something that also applies to our canine companions. By the way, do you see that pair of socks on the floor? I left them there on purpose. Why? So Abby can go and play with them and I can correct her. She won’t learn unless she makes mistakes.

Abby, “Mom, you have my undivided attention.”

Notice the distance between Abby and me, but remember that she has been with us for almost 2 months so this was not an overnight thing. I started with very little distance and now I’ve increased it. The hand signal is for her to stay and this is why Basic Training is important. Look at Abby’s eye contact. Perfect!

Abby, “Oh boy, when will I eat?”

Now is a good time to feed her. I started by feeding her in her kennel and then outside the kennel. Next time I’ll post what she does prior to sitting pretty like that. Why? Because she goes bananas and she has learned that she will not eat until she is calm. As you can see, Abby does work for her food, or should I say sweat? And just so we are clear, this is a combination of behavior and training. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but little by little we are getting there. Do you make your dog work for his food? If so, how? Enjoy your weekend.